News for December 23,
2000

Festina
judgment handed down

By Jeff Jones

Virenque cleared

The French court in Lille gave its verdict today on the nine people
accused in the Festina trial. As predicted, the only cyclist involved
in the proceedings, Richard Virenque, was acquitted of inciting other
members of his team to take drugs. The other eight team officials, soigneurs
and pharmacists, were given suspended sentences of varying length, as
well as fines.

Former soigneur, Willy Voet was given a 10 month suspended sentence
and a 30,000 franc fine ($US 4,200). He was the man who triggered the
biggest drug scandal in the history of the sport, when he was stopped
at the Franco-Belgian border before the 1998 Tour de France with a car
load of EPO and other banned drugs. Festina team manager, Bruno Roussel,
was given a heavier suspended sentence of 1 year and a fine of 50,000
francs ($US 7,000). Three of the others accused were given suspended
prison sentences ranging from five to nine months, and fines between
10,000 and 40,000 francs ($US 1,400-5,600).

There was considerable interest in Virenque at the start of the trial,
as he was one of the few Festina cyclists who had not confessed in 1998
and had therefore not served a suspension. The trial was to determine
the extent and nature of organised doping within the team and Virenque,
as the team's "moral leader" was amongst those charged. Then on day
2 of the trial, he finally confessed to using EPO, despite the fact
that taking performance-enhancing drugs is not illegal in France.

While this made him vulnerable to a sporting sanction, it shifted
the weight of accusations off his shoulders as it was clear that he
was not behind any organised doping in the team. "Several factors were
noted. The facts would have been enough to justify imprisonment," said
the verdict. "But the court took the context into account, in particular
the widespread recourse to doping and the deficiencies in the fight
against doping."

Virenque was present during the verdict in northern France, but did
not comment on the decision. His lawyer Eric Hemmerdinger claimed a
"first victory" and called for the UCI to increase the fight against
doping rather than punishing Virenque, or others who confess. Virenque
faces a ban of six to twelve months when the Swiss Cycling Federation
makes its decision in a week's time.

Authorities criticised

In passing down its verdict, the court in Lille also criticised various
cycling authorities for "passivity" in dealing with doping. The International
Cycling Union (UCI), the French Cycling Federation (FFC) and the Société
du Tour de France had asked for a symbolic one franc compensation for
damage to their image because of the affair.

However, the court declined to award the damages, and also blamed
them for their slow and weak approach in the fight against doping. This
in turn had led to comparatively light sentences for the accused in
the case, said the court.

The court claimed that EPO and other doping products pervaded the
peloton as far back as 1993, and the ruling bodies had known about them.
"The court deplores that they remained for several years almost inactive
before deciding on 1996 mainly to care about the excess of EPO. They
never considered stopping competitions in a sport so plagued by doping
and thus avoiding the harm to their image which they are complaining
about."

First
division trade teams in 2001

The UCI has released the list of the 22 division I trade teams for
next season, based on the following rules:

1. The top 16 teams on the UCI ranking as of November 30, 2000
2. The top division II team (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
3. The next five teams with the most UCI points including the new signings,
viz. CSC-World Online, Domo-Farm Frites, Mercury/Viatel, Team
Coast and Credit Agricole.

Pantani
gets a new lawyer

Just a few days after dismissing his former defense team (by mutual
agreement), Marco Pantani has engaged another lawyer to help him in
his appeal against his sporting fraud sentence issued two weeks ago
in Forli. "The reconstruction that was made by the advisers for the
defense is anything but certain, precise and irrefutable," were the
judges words at the time before giving Pantani an effective 6 month
suspension from competition.

The new man for the job is Federico Cecconi, who said that he is "waiting
to read the transcripts in detail, but from what has transpired in the
press it would seem that the judge has debased whatever formulations
were made by the counsel for the defense. Here we are talking about
one scientific hypothesis against another. Neither of the two, until
I'm told otherwise, are based on a complete hematic assessment that
is normally used in an anti-drug test."

Michaelsen
worried about preparations for 2001

Lars Michaelsen has left La Francaise des Jeux and will be riding
for Division I newcomer Team Coast in 2001.

The Danish rider, who turns 31 in March, is concerned about the nature
of his preparations for the start of the season - the part of the season
in which he has accumulated a great deal of his points for the UCI rankings
in recent years.

Michaelsen is worried that he will not have spent enough days on the
road when the season begins. "Never before have I raced so few kilometers
before the first big race in Belgium, Het Volk and Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne,
as well as Tirreno-Adriatico, as the case will be in a little over two
months time." Michaelsen finished the 2000 season at #80 in the UCI
rankings. 150 of the 548 points he earned were accumulated in the introductory
phase of the season.

"Lindner has decided that Frank Høj and I are to begin with Trofeo
Laigueglia (20. February), immediately after which we will participate
in the Giro Ligure, a 4-day arrangement. Those races are so demanding
that there is a risk that we won't be able to get the desired training
out of them. In any case, it means that I will be starting the season
almost three weeks later than I am accustomed to. I am very anxious
so see what it will mean when Het Volk comes along on March 3. I would
rather have participated in the Ruta del Sol, which is easier to ride
at that time of the year, but I will accept the plan that Lindner has
made - then it must be his responsibility if it turns out that I am
too far behind for the races where I am usually among the best.".

Training camp in Mexico

"A lot depends on how well our three-week training camp in Mexico
proceeds. We are heading out on 9. January and will first be home again
on the 31st. It is Lindner's theory that there should be at least a
period of 2 weeks before the first competition after the time in the
thin air. I will certainly not rule out that the time in Mexico can
compensate for the lack of racing days, but it is a matter of uncertainty
that is difficult to figure out at the moment."

Michaelsen's best season to date was arguably while riding for Cees
Priem and TVM in 1997, where he finished the year as #44 in the UCI
rankings. The highlight of that season was a stage in the Vuelta and
several days in the race's leader's jersey. Otherwise Michaelsen's greatest
single victory has been Gent-Wevelgem in 1995.

Courtesy of Jon Jay Neufeld

BCF
Coach Education Courses

Free for Existing ABCC and BCCA Coaches Funding from the British Cycling
Federation's Coach Education department, BCCA (Cyclo-Cross) and the
RTTC (Time Trials) will enable existing coaches to take the Federation's
new Level 2 Update course free (normal cost: £125).

The new Level 2 Update course is aimed at coaches with existing qualifications,
and follows on from the Level 2 Club Coach Award launched at the beginning
of 2000. The course takes into account the knowledge and experience
of ABCC and BCCA qualified coaches and is in a two-day format, compared
to the three days of the BCF Level 2 Club Coach Award course for new
coaches.

Course Dates for Early 2001:

East Midlands (South Normanton): Sunday, January 14 & Sunday, February
11 East (University of Luton): Saturday, January 20 & Saturday January
27 Central (Beaconsfield): Sunday, January 21 & Sunday, February 18
North West (Manchester): Saturday, January 27 & Saturday, March 3